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Welcome to About Town, where we take a deeper dive into one neighborhood each week while also highlighting the latest news, developments and back stories from Memphis’ neighborhoods. This week’s focus: Whitehaven.
This week was a busy one for Whitehaven.
Sunday, the I Love Whitehaven Neighborhood and Business Association wrapped up its fourth annual I Love Whitehaven Week. This year’s theme was “$Whitehaven Is Worthy, Whitehaven Is Worth It$.”
The appreciation week consisted of a Black restaurant week, radio show hosted by Pearl Walker and Kevin Brooks, District 3 Whitehaven clean up hosted by Councilwoman Patrice Robinson and Michael O. Harris of Greater Whitehaven Economic Redevelopment Corporation (GWERC), a Christmas tree lighting at Graceland, and holiday marketplace.
Whew! That was a mouthful, and this is just the beginning.
Participating restaurants included Uncle Lou’s, Kountry Cookin’ and Soul Haven.
Walker, organizer of the appreciation week and founder of the neighborhood association, said it is important to support these Black-owned businesses in Whitehaven, because 93% of the community’s income is spent outside Whitehaven in areas like DeSoto County.
More from About Town:
 Vilma Villafuerte (left) thanks Su Casa Family Ministries executive director Michael Phillips (right) after receiving a Thanksgiving meal for her family on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Su Casa gave boxes of turkey, produce and canned goods to families who attend the ministry’s adult English classes and bilingual preschool programs in Berclair.
Ornaments shaped like snowmen, stars, poinsettias and snowflakes hang on light poles along Elvis Presley between East Brooks Road and East Shelby Drive.
Bala’s Bistro has reopened in a much larger space, the menu has expanded and now you don’t have to decide because you can buy food from a cafeteria line by the pound.
Debra Rich, a cosmetologist and active community member in South Memphis and Horn Lake, spent years researching these inventors and published her findings in “Black Inventors Who Changed History” this year.
About 350 Thanksgiving birds were distributed Saturday at the event on North Hollywood Street. A day earlier, turkeys were given out in South Memphis, where slain rapper Young Dolph had planned to participate.
 Memphis rapper Jucee Froot hands out free turkeys at Hollywood Community Center Nov. 20, 2021. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
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